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MELBOURNE (Reuters) - David Davies gave Wales its first Commonwealth Games swimming gold for 32 years on Tuesday, destroying a proud Australian record for good measure.

Davies’s comfortable victory in the men’s 1,500 metres freestyle ended Australia’s 48-year stranglehold on swimming’s ‘iron man’ event on the final night of competition.

“I was proud out there — I was almost crying,” said Davies, who stormed to the gold in 14 minutes 57.63 seconds in the absence of Australia’s Olympic champion Grant Hackett.

“It’s the first major medal I’ve won and I’m going to remember it for the rest of my life.”

Davies was third behind Hackett at the 2004 Olympics and at last year’s world championship, and was installed as the odds-on favourite when the Australian pulled out after shoulder surgery.

He became the first non-Australian to win the gold since 1954 and the first swimmer from Wales to win a Commonwealth title since Patricia Beavan’s 200 metres breaststroke gold in 1974.

“It’s a massive weight off my shoulders,” said Davies. “Since Grant Hackett’s withdrawal I’ve been expected to win. It’s a new experience for me.

DIFFERENT ANIMAL

“I’m still not that same type of animal as Grant Hackett or even Kieren Perkins. They can go out fast and attack but it takes a lot out of me.”

Wrapped in a Welsh flag, Davies celebrated his start-to-finish victory by jumping into the Welsh enclosure to hug coaches, family and team mates.

“I swam out on my own. It was pretty hard,” said the 21-year-old, who touched almost 12 seconds before runner-up Andrew Hurd of Canada.

“One of the boys said to me, ‘If I go down to the bookies and put 1,000 dollars on and you don’t come through I’ll only get 20 back’, so there was a lot of pressure.”

Davies’s time was well outside his personal best and more than 23 seconds outside Hackett’s world record of 14:34.56.

“Now I know what it’s like to go out there and do it,” he said. “I’ll take it on again when all the big guys are back for the (2008 Beijing) Olympics and (2007) world championships.”

Stevens eyes Hackett role

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GRANT Hackett’s withdrawal from the 2006 Commonwealth Games has sparked Craig Stevens to reconsider a plan to focus on the 200m and 400m freestyle next March.

Stevens, who gave Ian Thorpe the chance to defend the Olympic 400m freestyle crown in Athens last year, is on the comeback trail from a back injury that ruled him out of the world titles in Montreal this year.

The 25-year-old admitted yesterday he was leaning towards the shorter distances in his preparation for the Games, but Hackett’s shoulder surgery has renewed his interest in the 1500m.

“I have probably been umming and aahing about it, preferring just to do the 200m and the 400m,” Stevens said.

“I haven’t really spoken to (coach Tracey Menzies) about it but it’s definitely something that we may have to have another talk about.

“I will probably enter it and wait to see how I swim that week (at the Commonwealth Games trials in January) in the 400m and the 200m.

“It’s not something that I’m holding off on, I just want to see if I’m up for it.”

Of Australia’s 1500m hopes behind Hackett, Stevens holds the fastest time of 15:01.64 for the 30-lap race, which he recorded at last year’s Olympic trials.

Canadian-turned-Australian Kurtis MacGillivary (15:08.48) and ironman champion Ky Hurst (15:17.65) are the others in line.

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Stevens qualified behind Hackett in the 1500m freestyle for last year’s Olympics, finishing eighth in the final.

“I guess I’m probably still capable of doing a pretty good 1500m, it just depends on whether I’m up to it and I can get the mind around it,” he said.

“I always wanted to get back into it to break 15 minutes.

“It’s every 1500m swimmer’s ultimate goal to break 15 minutes and I haven’t done that yet. I definitely want to do it, it’s just a matter of trying to get the mind around training to get back under 15 minutes.

“I think it’s more of a mental thing than a physical thing.”

Stevens said he had recovered from the injury that forced him to withdraw from the world championship trials in March.

He aggravated a lower back injury moving furniture earlier this year. But Stevens said he was now training as strong as ever.

“Everything has been fantastic,” he said.

“This is the best I’ve been training in a long time so I can’t wait to race at the trials.”

While training partner Thorpe returns from a 15-month break at this weekend’s FINA world cup meet in Sydney, Stevens is set to miss the meeting after being struck down with the flu this week.

But his inside word on Thorpe is that the Olympic champion looks in great shape.

“He’s looking pretty good, he’s doing some pretty fast times,” Stevens said.

Hackett receives good news on shoulder

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Olympic and world champion swimmer Grant Hackett has been cleared of any serious shoulder damage after having surgery on the joint in Melbourne earlier this week.

Surgeon Dr Greg Hoy says the shoulder was in better condition than expected and he is confident Hackett will make a full recovery.

On Monday, Hackett announced he was pulling out of the Commonwealth Games to ensure he would fit for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In Beijing the Gold Coast based swim star will attempt to win an unprecedented third consecutive 1,500 metres gold medal.

Hackett surgery a success

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Grant Hackett was expected to resume training in December after this week’s shoulder surgery was deemed a success.

Hand and upper limb specialist surgeon Dr Greg Hoy on Wednesday night said the Australian swimming team captain had successfully undergone a shoulder arthroscopy in Melbourne on Tuesday night that forced him to withdraw from March’s Commonwealth Games.

Dr Hoy said the two-time Olympic 1500m champion’s shoulder was expected to return to “full function”.

“Grant underwent an arthroscopic assessment on Tuesday evening,” he said.

“This assessment showed that the joint cartilage was in better condition than would be expected in this situation, and that the problem lay in the space around the outside of the tendons concerned.

“Grant has had inflammation in the space around these tendons, which had produced scarring.

“The inflammatory tissue was resected (removed) and the rubbing tissues were smoothed down.

“He did not require any reconstruction work and after recovery from the surgery and with thorough rehabilitation, he would be expected to return to full function.”

Hackett’s manager Chris White added: “Grant has been resting all day today and he has asked that we pass on his sincere thanks to the overwhelming support shown by everyone”.

White said Hackett would enjoy another rest day on Thursday but would be “available for comment shortly”.

Rolff swims into SKINS, World Cup

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PORT Macquarie backstroker Ethan Rolff is bracing himself for a few hectic days in the pool.

Rolff, based in Kingscliff, will contest the 2005 Swimming Australia SKINS tomorrow night, as well as the Telstra FINA World Cup meeting this weekend.

The SKINS, the aquatic world’s answer to one-day cricket, kicks off a wonderful three days at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, followed by the Telstra FINA World Cup on Saturday and Sunday.

During that time, Rolff will pit his skills against the likes of Australian champion Matt Welsh, 2005 Montreal silver medallist Randall Bal and 100m world record holder Peter Marshall.

“I’m looking forward to the SKINS,” admitted Rolff, who’ll contest the 50m event.

“In 2004 I placed second, and I finished third behind Aaron Piersol (Olympic gold medallist) last year.

“Those results suggest I like that kind of

format.

“This time around, however, I believe there are a few differences in regards to the SKINS’ style the organisers are adopting.

“But, no matter what happens, the event will give me a good indication of where I’m at.”

Rolff’s workload will increase threefold a day or two later when he takes to the pool in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke at the Telstra FINA World Cup.

“It’s a pretty hot field, so it should be good,” Rolff said.

“Randall (Bal) finished second in the 100

backstroke at the World Championships,

Peter (Marshall) is the world record holder

and Welshy’s (Welsh) achievements are well

documented.

“I’ve trained well and enjoyed a good preparation, so everything seems promising - I recorded a world ranking in the 200m backstroke at a meeting a few weeks ago.

“The Telstra FINA World Cup is a mid-season indicator for all Aussie swimmers.

“We have our respective State Championships in December, then it’s all systems go until the Commonwealth Games trials.

“They are only 11 weeks away.”

And, while on the subject of the Commonwealth Games, the withdrawal of Australian team captain Grant Hackett from the event is a hot topic - from sports commentators and the public to the swimmers’ themselves.

“I can understand where Grant is coming from,” Rolff acknowledges.

“2008 is his goal.

“After 10s of thousands of hours training, it’s bound to take its toll.

“Grant is not only the national leader but a supreme athlete - his withdrawal is a loss.

“He’s an amazing team member - a warrior, an inspiration.”

Hackett battled injury in secret

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AS Grant Hackett underwent surgery on his injured shoulder yesterday, his coach Denis Cotterell revealed the Olympic champion had kept his shoulder injury a secret in an effort to “will the injury away”.

Hackett had initially complained of a niggle in his right shoulder as early as July but still managed to pick up three individual gold medals at the World Championships in Montreal that month.

He then mentioned to Cotterell that the shoulder had flared up in training soon after returning home.

But since then he had not mentioned the injury again.

“I thought we were all over it,” Cotterell said.

“I thought Grant was managing it or that it had sorted itself out, but it turns out he was keeping it from me.

“He didn’t tell me because he knew I would occasionally ask him about it and that it would be in the airwaves.

“Hiding it was probably his way of willing it away, which was more a case of hope than reality.”

Cotterell said he was as shocked as anyone when Hackett broke the news this week that he would undergo surgery immediately and miss the Commonwealth Games in March next year.

He had been slotted in for three events (4×200m relay, 400m and 1500m freestyle).

“When he told me I said ‘what?”‘ Cotterell said.

“But when I thought back over the last few weeks, I started to realise he wasn’t his normal self.”

Hackett underwent “arthroscopic debriment” in Melbourne yesterday and will be out of the pool for at least the next six weeks.

Cotterell is confident the triple-Olympic gold medallist will be back kicking in the pool by January and hopes to see Hackett compete again within six months.

“There’s no reason he can’t come back from this a better swimmer,” he said.

“I think it has been a bit fortuitous. He needed a break to recharge the batteries.”

The focus now is on finding the emerging Australian distance swimmer most likely to claim Hackett’s 1500m crown at the March Games.

Miami training partners Ky Hurst and Kurtis MacGillivray both had a good chance, said Cotterell, along with Western Australia’s Travis Nederpelt and Olympic finalist Craig Stevens.

But Cotterell is also among a growing band who are tipping unheralded teenager Trent Grimse, a product of John Rodgers at Albany Creek.

“He’s only young but he might surprise everybody,” Cotterell said.

Thorpe asked to replace Hackett

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NATIONAL head coach Alan Thompson will appeal to a wavering Ian Thorpe to consider swimming the 400m freestyle at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March, to bolster an Australia team weakened by the loss of injured world champion Grant Hackett.

Thorpe’s coach Tracey Menzies indicated three months ago that he was likely to concentrate on the 100m and 200m freestyle in Melbourne. However, Thorpe said last month that he would not make up his mind about his signature event until just before the Games selection trials at the end of January.

Thompson said he would raise the 400m issue with Thorpe and Menzies during this weekend’s World Cup meet in Sydney, where Thorpe will swim his first race, the 100m freestyle, since the Athens Olympics.

Thompson, though, said he “was not going to put any pressure on Ian to do something that is not of his choosing”.

Thorpe has signalled his intention to move towards the sprints for his third Olympic appearance, in Beijing in 2008.

Thompson may be looking for ways to replace Hackett as a swimmer in Melbourne, but not as a captain.

He predicted that Swimming Australia would decline to name an interim captain while Hackett was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

The dual Olympic 1500m champion underwent surgery last night to correct a suspected tendon tear under his right shoulder blade. He is expected to be out of the water for up to two months, ruling him out of the Melbourne Games.

“We are not going to be looking to replace Grant,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the Australia team would appoint a leadership group of four after the trials, from which one or more would be appointed as the team spokesperson.

This year’s leadership group comprised Michael Klim, Jim Piper, Giaan Rooney and Brooke Hanson.

Thompson said he was still hopeful Hackett would recover in time to lead the national team to the world short-course championships in Shanghai in April. Hackett is expected to be fully fit by the Pan Pacific championships in Vancouver in August, but faces a selection stumbling block there.

The trials for both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacs are being held in January, while he is recovering from his surgery.

Thompson expects that Hackett will skip the Pan Pacs to prepare thoroughly for the 2007 world championships, also to be held in Melbourne.

Pain, swelling but Hackett op minor

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GRANT Hackett was last night resting after what was believed to be minor surgery to repair the injured shoulder that ended his Commonwealth Games campaign.

The dual-Olympic 1500m freestyle champion had surgery on his right shoulder at The Avenue hospital in Melbourne in a bid to end the pain he has swum with for almost a year.

Hackett announced on Monday that the injured shoulder would prevent him competing at the March Games.

His manager, Chris White, said the distance star was still waiting on a report from his surgeon, Dr Greg Hoy, late last night.

“Details are still a bit sketchy, but it appears the surgery was minor,” White said. “Grant is out of recovery. He’s in a bit of pain and there’s a bit of swelling, but we’re waiting to hear from his doctor.

“Until we get a report from the doctor, we can’t report any specific details.”

Hackett’s withdrawal from the Games could be to the benefit of Welshman David Davies, who is now favoured to take the Commonwealth 1500m crown. But Davies, 20, said he was gutted to learn of Hackett’s injury.

“If it does happen (that I win gold) the first thing that’s going to be mentioned about it is that Grant is not there,” Davies said

Hackett was optimistic about the surgery when he arrived at hospital earlier in the day, already talking about his comeback.

“I’m actually quite excited about the fact that I’m going to get fixed up and there’ll be no more niggling shoulder problems,” Hackett said.

“Hopefully the recovery is fast because I still really enjoy training and I miss it when I’m away from it.

“Next year I’m just going to put my head down and train because when you come back people think you automatically have a free pass to come back and be at the top.

“I’d love to have a comeback where I don’t get back to my best, but beyond it.”

Hackett said he hoped to be back in the water and working on his kicking by the end of December.

The world record holder said he had been buoyed by the support he had received from teammates and other sports stars, including cricketers Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke.

Hackett also urged his likely replacements to seize their opportunity at the Commonwealth Games.

“Concerning my events, it’s a great opportunity for a lot of younger athletes to step up and have a chance to make the team for an international event,” he said.

“I’d say to them, ‘Make the most of that because it doesn’t come around very often and I don’t intend to be out for too long’.”

Hackett on Alpha list

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HE MAY have been ruled out of the Commonwealth Games, but Grant Hackett is still one of the most influential figures in Australian sport, according to ALPHA Magazine.

Hackett is featured in the magazine’s comprehensive list of the 101 Most Influential People in Australian Sport in the December issue, which is on sale tomorrow.

The list covers all aspects of Australian sport, including current and retired sports stars, administrators, media proprietors, journalists, sports managers and corporate heavies whose companies provide millions of dollars worth of sponsorship.

The list includes such names as Hackett, Ian Thorpe, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Chris Judd, Leigh Matthews, Paul Roos, Andrew Johns, Ricky Stuart and Greg Norman.

ALPHA’s editor Neil Breen said collating the list was an extremely difficult task.

Also in the December issue of ALPHA is a compelling feature on snowboarder Torah Bright, Australia’s best chance for a medal in February’s Winter Olympics, a revealing interview with big-wave king Laird Hamilton and a comprehensive men’s gift guide for Christmas.

To find out the order of the 101 Most Influential People in Australian Sport, grab a copy of ALPHA for just $2 when you buy your Herald Sun.

Swimming legend quits Games over injury

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SWIMMING through the pain barrier is what dual Olympic 1500m freestyle champion Grant Hackett has done for almost a decade.
But yesterday the 25-year-old announced a nagging shoulder problem would force him out of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next March.

Hackett, Australia’s swimming team captain, will undergo arthroscopic surgery in Melbourne today to correct a suspected tear in the subscapular tendon underneath his right shoulder blade.

He insisted it was minor surgery and confessed that if the 2008 Olympic Games were approaching, he would probably fight the pain and take the risk of doing more damage. However he said he was putting his long-term career ahead of his desire to win a third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal before a home crowd.

Hackett has the opportunity to become the first male swimmer to win three successive Olympic gold medals in the same event.

Orthopaedic surgeon Greg Hoy, the man who fixed the damaged shoulders of Shane Warne and Patrick Rafter, has advised Hackett that he risks developing a major problem if he does not have the surgery now.

“It’s minor and I will be back in the water quickly, but it will cost me the Commonwealth Games,” Hackett said.

“It’s been a very, very tough decision because the Commonwealth Games mean a lot to me, especially being in Melbourne.”

He revealed that the shoulder had been bothering him since he returned from his break after the Athens Olympics last year, a period during which he won three gold medals and broke Ian Thorpe’s world 800m freestyle record at the Montreal world championships.

He had hoped that resting the joint after that competition would cure the problem, but it did not.

“It’s a biomechanical issue - a combination of the way I do my stroke and the hours of 1500m training that I do,” he said.

Hackett will be out of the water for a month or two, but vowed to come back faster and hungrier than before, after missing his first major event since 1996.

He predicted that Welshman David Davies, the Olympic bronze medallist, would win the 1500m gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in his absence.

Australia’s contenders include Olympian Craig Stevens, and Hackett’s Canadian-born training partner .